sarod tuning question
Jeff Esworthy
notice at least two different methods for stringing the instrument. Ali
Akbar Khan has the four strings that run over the small jawari bridge
near the top of the fingerboard, while Buddadev Das Gupta's instrument
lacks this bridge entirely. In the absence of the jawari bridge, how
are those four strings tuned, and where are they placed on the main
bridge on the belly? Do they serve as extra chikaris, drones, or
something else entirely? Thanks for any light you can shed on this
question.
jeff
ar...@my-dejanews.com
je...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net wrote:
> Can anyone enlighten me as to the tuning variances for sarod? I seem to
> notice at least two different methods for stringing the instrument. Ali
> Akbar Khan has the four strings that run over the small jawari bridge
> near the top of the fingerboard
Ali Akbar Khansahib's instrument has those strings because they were added to
it by his father Baba Allauddin Khan in belief that they would add something
to the sound of the instrument and characteristic resonance to the raga. It
works to a considerable extent, but can get noisy and prohibitive while
playing a fast jhala.
> while Buddadev Das Gupta's instrument
> lacks this bridge entirely. In the absence of the jawari bridge, how
> are those four strings tuned, and where are they placed on the main
> bridge on the belly? Do they serve as extra chikaris, drones, or
> something else entirely? Thanks for any light you can shed on this
> question.
Being a student of Buddhadev Das Gupta, I use the second type of sarod. It is
the more traditional of the two. Unlike Khansahib's sarod, our instrument has
five melody strings (they have four), one drone string, and TWO chikaris.
Since we have six pegs instead of eight, the configuration is 5 (melody), 1
(tonic), 2 (chikari). I had not noticed your article 'til today. Hence the
delay in writing. On Khansahib's instrument, the additional three strings are
passed through three holes in the bridge sandwiched between the 'tarafs' and
the 'upper level' strings. I hope this answers your questions! Happy sarod
playing!
--
Arnab :)
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Sajjad Khaliq
: In article <36317C...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net>,
: je...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net wrote:
: > Can anyone enlighten me as to the tuning variances for sarod? I seem to
: > notice at least two different methods for stringing the instrument. Ali
: > Akbar Khan has the four strings that run over the small jawari bridge
: > near the top of the fingerboard
: Ali Akbar Khansahib's instrument has those strings because they were added to
: it by his father Baba Allauddin Khan in belief that they would add something
: to the sound of the instrument and characteristic resonance to the raga.
: Being a student of Buddhadev Das Gupta, I use the second type of sarod. It is
: the more traditional of the two. Unlike Khansahib's sarod, our instrument has
: five melody strings (they have four), one drone string, and TWO chikaris.
: Since we have six pegs instead of eight, the configuration is 5 (melody), 1
: (tonic), 2 (chikari).
I'm wondering if either of the above two different methods of sarod tuning
mentioned above are different again from the method of Ustad Amjad Ali
Khan? And perhaps there is a fourth method of sarod tuning and design;
that of Ustad Imrat Khan, who is reputed to have developed a specific size
of sarod, as well as tuning and technique of playing in the Gayaki ang.
Anyone have information to compare or contrast the above mentioned two
emthods with those of Amjad Ali Khan and Imrat Khan?
--
Sajjad Khaliq / Hamilton / Ontario / Canada
Keith Erskine
: ar...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
: : In article <36317C...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net>,
: : je...@PioneerPlanet.infi.net wrote:
: : > Can anyone enlighten me as to the tuning variances for sarod? I seem to
: : > notice at least two different methods for stringing the instrument. Ali
: : > Akbar Khan has the four strings that run over the small jawari bridge
: : > near the top of the fingerboard
: : Ali Akbar Khansahib's instrument has those strings because they were added to
: : it by his father Baba Allauddin Khan in belief that they would add something
: : to the sound of the instrument and characteristic resonance to the raga.
: : Being a student of Buddhadev Das Gupta, I use the second type of sarod. It is
: : the more traditional of the two. Unlike Khansahib's sarod, our instrument has
: : five melody strings (they have four), one drone string, and TWO chikaris.
: : Since we have six pegs instead of eight, the configuration is 5 (melody), 1
: : (tonic), 2 (chikari).
: I'm wondering if either of the above two different methods of sarod tuning
: mentioned above are different again from the method of Ustad Amjad Ali
: Khan? And perhaps there is a fourth method of sarod tuning and design;
: that of Ustad Imrat Khan, who is reputed to have developed a specific size
: of sarod, as well as tuning and technique of playing in the Gayaki ang.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has 6 main pegs on his sarod - 4 (melody (_Sa, _Pa, Sa,
Ma)), and 2 "tonic" strings, which are not always tuned to Sa. An additional
2 pegs adjacent to the sympathetic string pegs are used for the 2 chikaris.
: Anyone have information to compare or contrast the above mentioned two
: emthods with those of Amjad Ali Khan and Imrat Khan?
One interesting difference is Amjad Ali Khan keeps his sarod tuned lower
(concert B, B flat) than Ali Akbar Khan (concert C) and his sympathetic
strings tuned higher (Ni - Ni") (Ali Akbar Khan uses Da - Ga" sympathetic
tuning).
Another difference is that Buddhadev Das Gupta does not include Sa among
the sympathetic string tunings, as there are already plenty of Sa strings
resonating on the instrument.
Keith Erskine
I don't speak for HP, and vice-versa.
